Thus, this underwater relic is one of the most significant recent discoveries of the wreckage of the USS Harder, a famous submarine that sank most Japanese ships during the Second World War as a part of the US Navy force; it was sunk by enemy forces 80 years ago, and its wreckage was discovered in the South China Sea.
The Harder, sunk at 3,000 feet off the Philippines’ northern island of Luzon, was a transit vessel involved in the important Pacific theater. In one of its last missions before surfacing to be attacked, it sank three Japanese Navy destroyers and severely damaged another two. This compelled the enemy to change its tactical strategy and take time to tackle them, factors that were instrumental in its defeat.
Another one was the fate of the Harder ship, which was sunk during the victory celebration. It is important to remember that everything has its price, especially freedom, retired US Admiral Samuel J. Cox, the head of the US Navy’s History and Heritage Command, pointed out.
The Harder, which once went by the message “Hit ‘em harder,” was founded by The Lost 52, an organization whose goal is to identify the 52 American submarines that were lost during World War II. The submarine’s wreckage was discovered with the vessel intact and even partially upright.
Later, both the Harder and its crew were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for the role’s exceptional heroism and service. It is said that the submarine’s skipper, Commander Sam Dealey, was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest honor the United States military bestows.
